HISTORY
Following
the split of the Roman Empire in 395, the Byzantine Empire established
its control over present-day Albania. In the 11th century, Byzantine
Emperor Alexius I Comnenus made the first recorded reference to
a distinct area of land known as Albania and to its people.
The Ottoman
Empire ruled Albania from 1385-1912. During this time, much of
the population converted to the Islamic faith, and Albanians also
emigrated to Italy, Greece, Egypt and Turkey. Although its control
was briefly disrupted during the 1443-78 revolt, led by Albania's
national hero, Gjergj Kastrioti Skenderbeg, the Ottomans eventually
reasserted their dominance.
In the
early 20th century, the weakened Ottoman Empire was no longer
able to suppress Albanian nationalism. The League of Prizren (1878)
promoted the idea of an Albanian nation-state and established
the modern Albanian alphabet. Following the conclusion of the
First Balkan War, Albanians issued the Vlore Proclamation of November
28, 1912, declaring independence. Albania's borders were established
by the Great Powers in 1913. Albania's territorial integrity was
confirmed at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, after U.S. President
Woodrow Wilson dismissed a plan by the European powers to divide
Albania among its neighbors.
During
the Second World War, Albania was occupied first by Italy (1939-43)
and then by Germany (1943-44). After the war, Communist Party
leader Enver Hoxha, through a combination of ruthlessness and
strategic alliances, managed to preserve Albania's territorial
integrity during the next 40 years, but exacted a terrible price
from the population, which was subjected to purges, shortages,
repression of civil and political rights, a total ban on religious
observance, and increased isolation. Albania adhered to a strict
Stalinist philosophy, eventually withdrawing from the Warsaw Pact
in 1968 and alienating its final remaining ally, China in 1978.
Following
Hoxha's death in 1985 and the subsequent fall of Communism in
1991, Albanian society struggled to overcome its historical isolation
and underdevelopment. During the initial transition period, the
Albanian Government sought closer ties with the West in order
to improve economic conditions and introduced basic democratic
reforms, including a multi-party system.
In 1992,
after the sweeping electoral victory of the Democratic Party,
Sali Berisha became the first democratically elected President
of Albania. Berisha began a more deliberate program of economic
and democratic reform but progress on these issues stalled in
the mid-1990s, due to political gridlock. At the same time, unscrupulous
investment companies defrauded investors all over Albania using
pyramid schemes. In early 1997, several of these pyramid schemes
collapsed, leaving thousands of people bankrupt, disillusioned,
and angry. Armed revolts broke out across the country, leading
to the near-total collapse of government authority. During this
time, Albania's already inadequate and antiquated infrastructure
suffered tremendous damage, as people looted public works for
building materials. Weapons depots all over the country were raided.
The anarchy of early 1997 alarmed the world and prompted intensive
international mediation.
A UN Multinational Protection Force restored order, and an interim national reconciliation government oversaw the general elections of June 1997, which returned the Socialists and their allies to power at the national level. President Berisha resigned, and the Socialists elected Rexhep Meidani as President of the Republic.
During the transitional period of 1997-2002, a series of short-lived Socialist-led governments succeeded one another as Albania's fragile democratic structures were strengthened. Additional political parties formed, media outlets expanded, non-governmental organizations and business associations developed. In 1998, Albanians ratified a new constitution via popular referendum, guaranteeing the rule of law and the protection of fundamental human rights and religious freedom. Fatos Nano, Chairman of the Socialist Party, emerged as Prime Minister in July 2002.
On July
24, 2002, Alfred Moisiu was sworn in as President of the Republic.
A nonpartisan figure, nominally associated with the Democratic
Party, he was elected as a consensus candidate of the ruling and
opposition parties. The peaceful transfer of power from Meidani
to Moisiu was the result of an agreement between the parties to
engage each other within established parliamentary structures.
This "truce" ushered in a new period of political stability
in Albania, making possible significant progress in democratic
and economic reforms, rule of law initiatives, and the development
of Albania's relations with its neighbors and the U.S.
The "truce" between party leaders began to fray in summer 2003 and progress on economic and political reforms suffered noticeably due to political infighting. The municipal elections of 2003 and national elections of 2005 were an improvement over past years, adding to the consolidation of democracy despite the continued presence of administrative errors and inaccuracies in voter lists.
In 2005, the Democratic Party and its allies returned to power, pledging to fight crime and corruption, decrease the size and scope of government, and promote economic growth. Their leader, Sali Berisha, was sworn in as Prime Minister on September 11, 2005.
Since the election, Prime Minister Berisha's government has made the fight against corruption and organized crime its first priority and has begun administrative and legal reforms toward that end. This brought repeated clashes with the opposition, which condemned the government's approach as unconstitutional and an attempt to undermine independent institutions. Both sides remain combative over a range of political and substantive issues.
Another politically contentious process was the pre-electoral period prior to the 2007 local elections. Although the February 18, 2007 local elections were generally peaceful and democratic, over-politicized debate during the preceding months resulted in procedural and administrative problems during the conduct of the elections. A major positive step forward was the performance of the police force.
The fragility of the Albanian electoral system was tested again during the parliamentary by-election in zone 26 (Shijak) on March 11, 2007. The left-wing opposition parties withdrew their commissioners from the polling stations and the counting center, in spite of prior concessions from the Central Elections Commission (CEC) to the opposition's demands. Opposition commissioners left and took with them one of the seals that mark the ballots. By midday, the opposition candidate also announced his withdrawal from the parliamentary race. However, the right of citizens to vote prevailed and the process continued thanks to the technical arrangements of the CEC. The only visible sign of violence was the wounding of a Democratic Party commissioner, who was fired upon by a militant.
Both elections were an indication of lack of political will to cooperate and of the imminent need for a comprehensive electoral reform of the present Albanian electoral system.
On July 20, 2007 President Bamir Topi was elected within Parliament after six members of the opposition coalition broke ranks to vote for his candidacy. Out of 90 deputies present at the session, 85 voted for Topi, while Neritan Ceka, head of the opposition Democratic Alliance party, won five votes. Topi, 50, a former agriculture minister, now succeeds President Alfred Moisiu for a five-year mandate.
